I have just passed the 26th year of missing my son, Adam. He was a pilot and died while giving a lesson to a student. He had an engine problem and could not survive when they landed. Adam was only 23 and married just three short months. He was the kind of kid that everyone loved the moment they met him.
I would like to share some insights that I have learned over the past years and hope there is something that helps you on your grief journey.
First, I learned that I wasn’t crazy when I couldn’t remember the smallest things that first year, and beyond. I called it “cotton brain.” What helped me was to start writing in a journal. When sleep wouldn’t come, I would write to Adam. I poured out my heart about how much I missed him, how angry I was that the plane failed to perform to keep him safe. I told him about my day, all the insignificant things that I would have told him if he were sitting next to me. And most of all, I told him over and over that I loved him and missed him.
Another thing was to acknowledge my grief, give myself grace to grieve my huge loss. I could not worry about what others thought if I showed my sorrow. I had to let go of the “advice” I received from others. I also found that some of my friends were not able to handle being around someone so sad, so they left. I needed to find new friends that “got it.” The Compassionate Friends was a particularly valuable resource.
A friend that had a couple of years into grieving the death of her daughter gave us invaluable advice. She told me, “You can’t lean on a broken fence when you and Mark (my husband) are broken.” That is when we began looking for a grief counselor to help us navigate through our grief rather than expect help from each other. I highly recommend doing the same. It is a huge relief to be able to share anything in your heart with someone and not be judged, but instead just be listened to. Not everyone finds the one that will work for them right away. I think that if the first one does not work out, keep looking until you find one that does, like trying on a pair of shoes! You rarely find the right ones that fit with the first pair you try on.
Soon I realized how important it was to take care of myself, not only mentally but physically too. In those first months I could have cared less about my well-being. But I knew from resources that I read that if I did not, I could become a statistic that affects so many because of the impaired immune system. Illness can be one, also accidents increase causing some nasty physical consequences, sometimes for a lifetime. Did you know that when we experience a death of a loved one, it is a brain injury? Because of this, we do not think rationally when it comes to taking care of ourselves; however, our traumatized brain needs us to. Going for a walk is a great stress reliever or take some “me” time to just sit outside and listen to the birds. It can give a much-needed break for your mind and body. And sometimes we just need to have a good cry. It releases the tension that builds up.
Another significant help is to laugh. It is natural to feel like we should not because we are somehow not missing our kids if we do, but it is not at all the truth. Nothing could make us miss them any less. Try tuning in to a classic Carol Burnett show. It’s so good for the soul to laugh even for a moment. I learned I needed laughter as much as feeling the grief of missing Adam to have healthy healing.
And my final insight and the most important one for me was to not only look at my loss, but also count the blessings that our beautiful children left us. The most wonderful way to honor them is to go on living. To say their names and to share our stories. If we do that, we could be helping another hurting heart because we “get it.” I look back at those first entries in my journal and see how far I have come and know that although I did not believe I would survive, I did! I miss my son and always will, but I have found joy in life again. I can talk about Adam now and smile at the precious memories that we shared.
Use the chapter locator to find out information about chapters in your area. Locate a Chapter by selecting your state and zip code.
Comments are closed.
HI Linda,
I read your journey and I know your pain !! My sweet daugther has been gone for almost 34 years. My question is how did you publish your book as I have finally finished getting our story out of my head and onto the computer and am possible thinking about publishing it if it would help others. Renee got Leukemia at 15 months and fought it for 2 years and died Feb 26, 1989.
Thank you for any insight. I will look for your book!
Sincerely,
Athena